When to Upgrade to an Amazon Professional Seller Account

If you are currently selling on the Amazon marketplace through an individual account, you’ve probably considered upgrading to a Professional Seller Account. It’s a big step, but there can be many advantages to taking your Amazon sales to the next level. Before you make any changes, it’s important to know the pros and cons associated with individual vs. professional Amazon seller accounts.

Let’s take a closer look.

The Individual Account - Pros and Cons

An individual seller account is great for those of us who have a garage full of Aunt Edna’s un-regiftable birthday and Christmas presents and want to make a little extra money. There is no monthly subscription fee associated with an individual account, but there is a $.99 per-item fee associated with every item sold (plus other applicable fees). An individual account will not allow a merchant to apply to sell grocery, clothing, shoes and other restricted category items on the Amazon marketplace. Third party services, like FeedbackFive or RestockPro, are also not permitted with an individual account. Finally, an individual account only has the ability to list products active on Amazon. Only professional accounts are permitted to create new listings.

Merchants who sell less than forty items per month, however, are probably fine with an individual seller account. They avoid a monthly fee and can sell Aunt Edna’s strange ephemera with ease.

The Professional Account - Pros and Cons

The monthly fee for an Amazon professional seller account is $39.99 per month. If a merchant sells more than forty items per month, this fee pays for itself, since in a professional account the per-item fee is waived. There are other benefits associated with a professional account. It offers access to Amazon-generated seller reports, the ability to create new product listings and apply to sell in restricted categories. Their listings are also eligible for the Buy Box.

Professional sellers are also permitted to use third-party tools to help them run a successful eCommerce business. That’s where the eComEngine suite of products, as well as our unparalleled support, comes in.

eComEngine and Amazon - Getting Started

For sellers who want to make the change to a professional account, it's easy to get started. If you’re an individual seller interested in leveraging this exciting opportunity, click here to get started.